Jersey City Uber/Lyft Accident Lawyers

Whether you use ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft for work or for a day of shopping at Newport Centre, there is no denying the convenience and relative privacy these services offer. By merely opening an app on your smartphone, you can book a direct trip while avoiding the crowds at the CNJ station.

Being injured in an Uber or Lyft vehicle accident can be a frightening and traumatic experience. It can also be more confusing than an accident that doesn’t involve a ridesharing driver and company. In a Jersey City Uber/Lyft accident, you may have many avenues to seek compensation for your injuries and losses. You will need an experienced Jersey City personal injury attorney, like those at Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers, to discover the facts. We can learn the identities of all parties involved, as well as the related insurance companies, and go to work finding appropriate compensation for you.

Ridesharing options have increased in Jersey City due to rising demand. This also increases your odds of being injured in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle. After over 40 years in business in Jersey City, the Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers legal team has experience in all kinds of automobile accidents, including those involving Uber/Lyft vehicles in and around Hudson County.

If you were injured in a rideshare accident through no fault of your own, call Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers at (201) 583-5765 today to schedule a free consultation. We’ll discuss your case and review your options for moving forward.

Types of Uber/Lyft Accident Cases Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers Handles

Logging into the Uber or Lyft digital network through a phone app can lead to distracted driving and carelessness, just one of the types of accidents that Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers handles. We also skilled at securing compensation in Uber/Lyft accidents in Jersey City caused by:

• Driving while intoxicated or under the influence
• Drowsy or fatigued driving
• Failure to obey traffic signs
• Failure to stop for pedestrians
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Following another vehicle too closely (tailgating)
• Changing lanes carelessly
• Road rage
• Running a red or yellow traffic light
• Speeding
• Unqualified or inexperienced drivers
• Unsafe or illegal turns, including U-turns
• Unsafe driving for weather conditions
• Wrong-way driving
• Other negligent or dangerous driving

Under state law, Uber and Lyft vehicles must be clearly identified and drivers have to carry detailed identification. If any of this is lacking, your claim and possible lawsuit are stronger. That’s why it’s important to contact the attorneys at Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers immediately. The sooner you get us on board, the sooner we can begin gathering information to build a strong case for you.

Compensation for Uber/Lyft Accident Cases

Both Uber and Lyft require their drivers to carry insurance that meets the minimum New Jersey requirements, but depending on the policy the driver chooses, it may not apply when that driver is working for Uber or Lyft without specific rideshare coverage or a rideshare endorsement.

Uber and Lyft, as well as any other ridesharing companies offering their services in Jersey City, must register as a New Jersey Transportation Network Company (TNC).  These companies fall under New Jersey’s Transportation Network Company Safety and Regulatory Act if they “use a digital network to connect a rider to a driver to provide a prearranged ride.” This Act is designed to increase the safety of the passengers and mandates specific TNC insurance requirements.

Any TNC operating in the state must apply for a permit from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). These permits are only valid for one year and then must be renewed. Uber/Lyft drivers do not need any special permit from the MVC – simply approval by Uber/Lyft according to each company’s driver selection and approval policies and procedures.

The laws governing the TNC require Uber/Lyft to provide insurance so that they meet the requirements under the TNC Safety and Regulatory Act. According to these requirements, the insurance must cover the driver even when the driver does not yet have a passenger but is logged into the app (digital network) seeking a passenger, as well as when the driver has a passenger.

The coverage limits for when the Uber/Lyft driver is carrying a passenger is $1.5 million in liability, plus another $1.5 million in underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage, and at least $10,000 for medical payments per person per accident.

If the Uber/Lyft driver is logged into the app merely looking for a passenger but not driving with one, the coverage lowers to $50,000 for death or bodily injury per person, or $100,000 for death or bodily injury for the entire accident, and an additional $25,000 for property damage.

Uber/Lyft accident victims should receive compensation for their injuries, including medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. The legal team at Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers will file the correct claims for our clients to make sure that this justice happens.